The Layered Generation: A Brief Look at 3D Print Week New York

Without surprise, this year’s annual NYC 3D printing extravaganza has been the biggest, ever. After starting from humble roots with just a few tables and a sparse speaker offering less than five years ago, the Inside 3D Printing show has since expanded into a multiple-event showcase that features over a week of curated activities, presentations and demonstrations from nearly every company in the industry that’s worth their salt.

This year, the show was split up into multiple areas that satisfied both the curiosity of those seeing the technology for the first time (there many high school science class field trips in attendance), as well as those who have been involved in the industry for years (fresh projects from within the last year were on display).

Additionally, the organizers did an excellent job of splitting up the expo portion of the event into two halves: one was specifically for 3D printer manufacturers, 3D printing hubs and other industry-related companies while the other half was specifically focused on 3D printing applications and 3D artists. This gave attendees the much-needed mental separation between the constant barrage of technology examples and creative application examples…which have often blended together in the same room at previous events.

But perhaps the most impressive feat of this year’s show was the turnout; an estimated 12K-16K were in attendance at last count and that should be higher going into the weekend, where even more workshops, tutorials and events are expected to take place for those who haven’t been able to make it to Javits Center this week.

Needless to say, this event proved that overall interest in additive manufacturing has never been stronger and the only direction we can all go from here – is up.

For more information on this weekend’s events and the artists and companies on display, head over to 3D Print Week New York.

Simon is a Brooklyn-based industrial designer and Managing Editor of EVD Media. When he finds the time to design, his focus is on helping startups develop branding and design solutions to realize their product design vision. In addition to his work at Nike and various other clients, he is the main reason anything gets done at EvD Media. He once wrestled an Alaskan alligator buzzard to the ground with his bare hands… to rescue Josh.